Tongs for table service



c. SCHAEFER 1,857,979

TONGS FOR TABLE SERVICE Filed Oct. 31, 1951 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTO C. SGHAEFER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NAPIER COMPANY,

OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION I TONGS FOR TABLE SERVICE Application filed October 31, 1931. Serial No. 572,277.

This invention relates to an improvement in tongs for table service, for handling cubes of ice, lumps of sugar, candies, etc., the object being to provide a pair of tongs for this purpose with a. spring to normally separate the members, which spring may be used so as to not increase the thickness of the device.

The invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of apair of tongs for table service constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the location of the spring with relation to the other parts;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the members detached;

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of a modified form of member;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4 and illustrating the modified form; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring, detached.

In carrying out my invention, I employ two gripping-members 10 and 11 formed respectively with finger-pieces 12 and 13, similar to ordinary ice tongs.

Each member, at the point where they cross, is formed with a perforation l4, and on its inner face with a concentric pocket 15, and opening out of each pocket is a radial notch 16.

A coil-spring 17 of the proper diameter and length, with radially-extending ends 18 and 19, is inserted into the pocket 15, one end of the spring extending into the recess 16. The other member is then set over the first member and the spring is housed in the pocket of the second member while the other end of the spring enters the recess in the second member. The two members are then connected together by a bolt or rivet 20, which in case of a bolt, may be held in place by a nut 21.

The spring normally holds the tongs in the open position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, but drawn toward permits the finger-pieces to be each other, closin the hooked ends of the tongs and so as to grlp an article.

It is obvious that instead of forming a concentric pocket, a perforation 22 may be formed in each member, as indicated in Fig.

6 of the drawings, with a radial notch 23 posed.

I claim 1. Tongs for table service, comprising two members, each formed With a pocket and with a radial notch intersecting the pocket,

a spring entering the said pockets and having ends extending into the said notches, and

means for connecting the two members together.

2. Tongs for table service, comprising two members, each formed with perforations and on their adjac tric with said ent faces with pockets concenperforations, and wlth notches intersecting said pockets, and combined with a spring seated in said. pockets and having its ends extended radially and entered into said notches.

In testnnon specification.

y whereof I have signed this OTTO o. SCHAEFER. 

